Carson Tinney is making a habit of launching baseballs into orbit. During Tuesday's dominant 16-4 victory over Incarnate Word, the Texas junior added another legendary chapter to his season by crushing a solo home run that cleared the batter's eye in center field—a feat the Longhorns officially designate as a "monster shot."
This wasn't just any home run. Initially thought to have landed past the Yeti Yard in left, the blast was officially measured at a staggering 431 feet, soaring over the deepest part of UFCU Disch-Falk Field. For Texas, a "monster shot" is the ultimate power display, reserved for the rare hits that conquer the massive green batter's eye.
With this latest moonshot, Tinney etches his name into the program's elite power-hitting lore. He is now just the second player in Texas history to record three such "monster shots," joining the legendary Ivan Melendez, who hit six between 2021 and 2022 during his record-setting campaigns.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Tinney brings a simple philosophy to the plate. "I'm a big guy, so that helps me get some power," he said. "When I make contact, it's pretty hard." His contact this season has been devastating, with his three longest homers traveling 445, 465, and now 431 feet against UTRGV, Ole Miss, and Incarnate Word, respectively.
What makes Tinney's accomplishment even more impressive is the context. While Melendez launched his six shots over a 28-foot batter's eye, Texas raised the barrier to 32 feet this past offseason, making Tinney's trio of clears a testament to his raw, game-changing power in the modern era of Longhorns baseball.
